The First Minister:

The Lord Advocate and I are due to speak again tomorrow, I believe. When the Lord Advocate spoke in the chamber, she was speaking as the independent head of the prosecution service. That important part of her function is distinct from her position when she provides legal advice as a member of this Government.

It is still my preference that UK legislation be applied UK-wide through a legislative consent motion. That would be the preferable route, although there are complexities to work through in that.

Douglas Ross is presenting this as a binary choice, which is not correct. The best position for all of us is to see, urgently, the mass exoneration of those who were wrongfully convicted. However, when it comes to those whose conviction was and is sound, nobody necessarily wants those convictions to be overturned and those people to be able to apply for compensation. If we can get to the position of having the best of both worlds, that would be the best position to get to. That is why we are willing to work with the UK Government, which presumably also does not want sound convictions to be overturned if that can be avoided. We will work with the UK Government in that respect.

However, let us not forget what we are dealing with. I am afraid that this is a scandal that was born in Westminster. The Post Office is wholly reserved, and UK Government ministers are wholly responsible for it. I accept that it lied to UK Government ministers—